All Metropolis of Atlanta women are encouraged to join us for our annual spring retreat at the Diakonia Retreat Center. "Reaching IN to Reach OUT: Preparing Our Lives for Philanthropy" is this year's spiritual theme. Presenter is Fr. Mark Leondis, Proistamenos of St. Mark Greek Orthodox Church, Boca Raton, FL.

July 6, 2016, Washington, DC -- Many of the United States' top foreign policy leaders put statements in the Congressional Record and on social media praising Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and the historic Holy and Great Council that convened in Crete, Greece June 19-26. Below are excerpts from these statements and links to their full remarks.

Metropolitan Alexios is deeply grateful to be part of the Patriarchal Delegation at the Holy and Great Council. He wants the faithful to know what a blessing it has been for Him to be part of this historic gathering. Here, Metropolitan Alexios is signing the first official documents and afterwards meeting at dinner with His All-Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew and those in His delegation.

The official texts of the opening speeches and adresses for the Holy and Great Council are available at https://www.holycouncil.org/documents in their original languages. Translations will be posted as they become available.

CRETE — On the second day of the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church, the Divine Liturgy was held at the Sacred Patriarchal and Stavropegial Monastery of Gonia, with His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem presiding from the throne. Afterward, the Hierarchs continued their work in the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Sessions of the Council.

Orthodox Christian leaders meeting for a historic council aimed at promoting unity made a last-minute appeal Friday to the Russian Orthodox Church and three others to attend the gathering, the first such meeting in more than a millennium.